Apparatus for operating mercury-vapor lamps.



P. H. VON KELLER.

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING MERCURY VAPOR LAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, 1913.

1,1 10,631, Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

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F. H. VON KELLER. APPARATUS FOR OPERATING MERCURY VAPOR LAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, 1913.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

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FREDERICK H. von KELLER, or

BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSTGNOR TO COOPER HEWITT ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING MERCURY-VAPOR LAMPS.

Original application filed August 6,

2 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

1908, Serial No. 447,213. Divided and this application filed March 12,

1913. Serial No. 753,678.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK H. von KELLER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Berlin, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Operating Mercury-Vapor Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the operation of mercury vapor lamps of the general character of those described in certain patents issued to Peter Cooper Hewitt on Septem= ber 17, 1901. The invention may also be used in connection with other similar a'pparatus where desired. I here provide a system of circuits and auxiliary apparatus by which such a suitable lamp may be 0perated for the purpose of supplying general illumination from any suitable general supply circuit for electric current. As is well known, lamps of the character described in the above patents have a number of peculiarities and characteristics which ordinarily demand an appropriate arrangement of circuits'and auxiliary apparatus. I have sometimes found it desirable, where steady operation is required, to utilize a special ballast or-other device having the property of absorbing more than the proportionate amount of potential with increasing current and a less than proportionate. amount with a decreasing current. Ordinarily, special starting means must be provided for t 'ese lamps which may be of various types. Other peculiarities, such for example,

on relatively small currents may be mentioned; With my inven tion I may provide an illumination having a corrected color value; for at times the natural color from certain lamps of the character described, notably using mercury vapor as a source of illumination, is un suitable for some purposes and objected to on the part of some .users. This correction may be accomplishedby mingling with the rays of the mercury vapor lamp additional light rays having the proper cor-' rected characteristic. This arrangement also increases the efliciency of the lamp since the total quantity of useful light is increased.

Figure 1 shows. a novel lamp which is utilized in my invention as asource of light.

source of light and forming part of the leads 6 and 7 are all as in Fig. 1.

as a tendency to go out when cold tending somewhat above Fig. 2 shows the negative electrode end of this lamp including the parts adjacent thereto. Fig. 3 shows a device here called a shifter, for the purposes of providing an impulse of high potential useful in starting the lamp. Fig. 4 shows an end new of this shifter. Fig. 5 shows circuits and apparatus with their relative connections adapted to operate the lamp.

The lamp is provided with a negative electrode 3, which may be of mercury and a positive electrode 4 which may be of iron or other suitable material. A curved transparent tube is shown at 2, constituting tge t e lamp. The condensing chamber 5 is located adjacent to the negative electrode and is so shaped that all condensation therein drains naturally into the negative electrode 3. Suitable platinum sealing in wires or leads for the electrodes are shown at 6 and 7. The tube 2 is here shown bent approximately on the circumference of a circle which makes it compact in form and symmetrical. It is intended that this lamp shall ordinarily lie in a horizontal plane, but it may be given any suitable angle desired.

Fig. 2 shows a portion of the lamp 1 of Fig. 1, adjacent to the negative electrode 3. The tube 2, the condensing chamber 5, arIid n addition there is shown a starting band 8 surrounding the negative electrode chamber on the outside of the wall which as well as the whole lamp may be of glass and exthe level of the mercury. A lead 9 serves to make electrical connections with this starting point 8.

In Figs. 3 and 4, I show a side elevation and anend elevation of the shifter. This shifter includes two bulbular portions, 11, having trunnions, 12, upon is so mounted as to be readily rotated, and also two electrodes, 13, which are often preferably of mercury and a tubular portion, 14 connecting the two bulbs 11 and partially filled with mercury. This shifter is hermetically sealed and highly exhausted. When placed in the position shown in Fig. 4, the electrodes, which may be taken as mercury for the purpose of illustration, are directly connected through the portion 14 which also will then be filled with mercury. If, however, the shifter be which the shifter v rotated upon the trunnions 12, a break in the continuity of the mercury circuit will be introduced at two points in the neighborhood of the electrodes 18, between these electrodes and the mercury in the portion 14. If such breaks occur when the device is carrying an unstable current, for example, on account of low temperature, or of small current or other condition, there will be energetic and frequently repeated attempts on the part of the negative electrode starting reluctance of the negative electrodes therein to interrupt the flow of current. This action may be very active in each of the negative electrodes and the effect of the two simultaneously will be still more effective. If the current here assumed as passing through the shifter, pass also through an inductance in its path, any of these energetic actions on the part of the negative electrode will cause a corresponding rise of potential from the inductance which may be utilized in starting, as will hereinafter be described. Attention is called to the fact that the double shifter here shown is in some cases more effective than the single shifter and proves itself a very useful device. Current is led into and out of the shifter through the sealing in wires or leads, 15, which may be of platinum.

Fig. 5 shows an organization of circuits adapted to the operation of the lamp of Fig. 1 and shows a convenient relative location of parts, it being assumed that the lamp 1 be thrown over to surround the ballast lamp 16. The lamp 1 is shown separated in the drawing for convenience to avoid obscuring the circuits and the auxiliary apparatus.

For the purpose of steadying the operation of the lamp 1, I connect in series there- ;with the special ballast 16, which may be a lamp adapted to correct the color value of the mercury vapor lamp 1. I may use as the lamp 16 a tungsten lamp in which case several advantages are derived from one piece of apparatus, for the tungsten filament has the corrective capacity of taking more than a proportionate voltage upon increasing current and conversely a less than proportionate voltage with a decreasing current. The location of this lamp in the center of the mercury vapor lamp 1 is generally favorable and secures theproper intermingling of the different colors of light. In addition to the lamp 16, I connected in series with the lamp 1, an inductance 17 which may have two windings as shown. The current is controlled by a switch 18 and fuses 19.

For starting the lamp, I here make use of the shifter already described or other suitable device and its property of producing a momentarily high voltage impulse. I connect this shifter in shunt to the lamp, including in this shunt a starting resistance 20 which serves to control the initial shifter current. The necessary mechanical motion of the shifter which turns upon the bearings 21, is obtained from a magnetic armature pivoted at 23, which operates upon the shifter through the loose pin 24: and the shifter clamp 25. This armature 22 is in operative relation to the terminals 26, of the inductance 17 so that upon the passing of initial current through the coils the armature 22 will be attracted by the result magnetism and the shifter rotated sufliciently to cause the double break therein as already described.

To render the high potential impulse more effective, I connect the lead of the positive electrode 7 of the vapor lamp 1 to the starting band 8, through its lead 9. When the impulse is impressed upon the lamp, the starting band serves to concentrate its intensity at the surface of the electrode where its effect to break down the negative electrode starting reluctance and produce a small spark at the surface of the electrode on the inside of the glass or otherwise to start the lamp. This hlgh voltage impulse is also impressed upon the vapor column within the lamp and assists in establishing current flow therethrough.

The various connections shown in Fig. 5 are as follows: The positive main after passing through the fuse 19 and the switch 18, is connected to one terminal of the ballast lamp 16 where, when the mercury in the vapor lamp is not running, it is reflected through the starting resistance 20. The positive lead is connected as well to one terminal of the starting resistance 20. The other terminal of this starting resistance is connected with one terminal of the shifter, whose other terminal is connected with the junction box 27. This junction box is also connected to one terminal of the inductance 17, whose other terminal is connected to the switch 18 and thence to the fuses 19- and the other main. The positive electrode of the mercury vapor lamp 1, is connected to the second terminalof the ballast lamp 16 and is also connected to the starting band 8. The negative electrode of the mercury vapor lamp 1 is connected to the junction box 27.

My invention is not limited to the specific circuits and apparatus here shown, but is of wide applicability and general utility, and is intended to include any system coming under the broad invention'as disclosed in the drawing and the present specification.

This application is a division of I11 application filed August 6th, 1908, Serial umber 447,213.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an electric circuit, a translating-device capable of operation upon a certain minimum voltage, in combination with an inductance in series therewith a quick break circuit controller for the inductance circuit, and means for automatically closing and opening said circuit controller for starting or renewing the action of the translating device when the current falls below a minimum operating voltage.

2. In an electric circuit, a translating device capable of operating upon a certain minimum voltage, in combination with an inductance in series therewith, a quick break circuit controller for the inductance circuit, and means independent of the temperature of the translating device for automatically closing and opening said circuit controller for starting or renewing the ac- 15 FREDERICK H. VON KELLER.

Witnesses HENRY HAsPER,

WOLDEMAR HAUPT. 

